Beans control cholesterol

LONDON: Researchers found that red beans contain more disease--fighting, skin--protecting antioxidants than blueberries, known for their high antioxidant content. One third cup of cooked beans has 80 calories, no cholesterol, lots of complex carbohydrates, and little fat. In addition, beans are full of B vitamins, potassium, and fiber, which promote-digestive health and relieve constipation. Eating beans may help prevent colon cancer and reduce blood cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease, researchers say. Beans are also a great protein source. Add beans in your diet as many times as you can. Kidney beans, navy beans, soybeans and lima-beans will help you a lot in controlling the cholesterol level. Even if you eat just one and a half cup of beans everyday, then it will help in controlling the bad cholesterol up to 22 percent. You do not have to eat that much at once, but if you include beans in yourdiet it will help you keep the cholesterol in control. Even beans have pectin lowering-qualities. Beans are bursting with protein, fibre, iron and calcium. The fibre in baked-beans goes on to produce a type of fatty acids that can help protect the colon from cancer. Beans also lower cholesterol. However, tinned baked beans contain a lot of salt which can lead to high blood pressure. Try the reduced salt, reduced sugar variety take them on toast or add to a casserole. The tomato sauce on them is also a great source of lycopene, an antioxidant which helps to prevent heart disease and prostate cancer.

Orange juice lowers blood pressure

NEW YORK: Scientists have found that two glasses of orange juice a day can lower blood pressure and cut the risk of heart disease.

They discovered that middle aged men who drank half-a-litre of juice every-day for a month, equivalent to about two glasses, saw a significant decline in their blood pressure readings.

Findings confirm the presence of a natural-plant chemical called hesperidin part of a class of disease fighting compounds found in plant foods like tea, fruit, soya and cocoa.
High blood pressure, which puts our arteries under greater pressure when the heart beats, affects one in five people and is one of the major risk factors contributing to a cardiac arrest.

The World Health-Organisation estimates that 50 per cent of all heart attacks and strokes are due to raised blood pressure.

The finding has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .

Mango combats some types of cancer

NEW DELHI: It’s definitely not that mango springs to mind the image of a medication. Rather it is the “king of fruits” and a darling of all! Mango comes as a respite in the sweltering heat and charms one and all.

Besides tantalising the taste buds it has been found to fight tumours and make cancer fret. Nutritionally mango is a rich source of beta-carotene, sugars and fibres.

Now research conducted at Indian Toxicology Research Institute (ITRC), Lucknow based on experiments conducted in the USA scientists believe that mango inhibits pancreatic cancer and regulated a number of processes involved in cancer development.

Lupeol is the wonder anti oxidant found in mangoes, which can prove highly beneficial in heart diseases, cancer and ageing. This anti-oxidant is formed in mangoes as a result of heat and water effect by nature.

In the initial trials mango pulp was extracted and fed to mice. The results before and after were tabulated. When analysed they revealed that lupeol is also effective against-environmental toxins. Scientists say that when the experimental trials are completed they can further aim towards making lupeol extracted from mango pulp as a nutraceutical.

These experiments once successful can be a boon for cancer-treatment. People are so fond of mango, so they will not mind taking it as a prescription. In fact the prescription will become a licence for mango consumption. Children and the aged population will not have to be coaxed into taking their timely medicine. In fact they will never forget their medication time. As it is, cancer detection is depressing news, but with the advent of mango based treatment it will not be so bad after all.